By Sarah Carey
G len F. Hoffsis, D.V.M., has been named dean of the
College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of
Florida, UF administrators announced Aug. 7 at a special
meeting held at the college's Veterinary Academic Building.
Hoffsis addressed a room packed with college faculty and
staff as well as other well-
wishers who had gathered in
anticipation of the announce-
ment.
"I'm extremely honored and
I wanted to be here personally
to accept this position," Hoffsis
said. "The University of Florida
has placed a lot of confidence
in me and I will not betray that
confidence."
Recognized for leading the
College of Veterinary Medicine
at The Ohio State University to
national prominence, Hoffsis I
was chosen after a nationwide lli i
search, according to Douglas i I
Barrett, M.D., senior vice
president for health affairs, and .
Jimmy Cheek, Ph.D, senior vice
president for agriculture and Dr. Glen Hoffsis addresses a crowd of well-wisi
natural resources administrators from the University of Florida.
natural resources.
"During his tenure as dean
at Ohio State University, Dr. Hoffsis oversaw a remarkable
expansion in the college's research and academic output,
expanded its clinical teaching hospital and moved the college
forward in peer rankings to become one of the best in the

country," Barrett said. "He knows how to build and grow a
college, and he's extraordinarily enthusiastic about this oppor-
tunity."
Hoffsis officially began his new job Oct.1, when he became
the college's fifth permanent dean.
"Dr. Hoffsis brings an
incredible amount of expe-
rience and commitment to
this position," Cheek said.
"He's done everything from
researching cattle diseases
and directing a veterinary
teaching hospital to signifi-
cantly expanding develop-
ment efforts and leading the
veterinary services division of
a major corporation."
Hoffsis called UF's veteri-
nary college "a top tier school
of veterinary medicine" but
said he knew many were
interested in advancing to the
top five in the country.
"I like that, because it shows
a desire to advance beyond
including faculty and staff from the UF CVM and the status quo," Hoffsis said.
"We will capitalize on our
clinical science, research and
student-program strengths. With a strong outreach program
and fundraising effort, I expect to see robust growth."
Hoffsis mentioned the small animal hospital fundraising
effort and noted the emerging pathogens initiative as a key
continued on page 2

Deriso Hall
Dedicated
The college's
food animal
reproduction and
medicine service
has new digs.

Alumi Profile
Dr. Linda George
I finds adventure every
day in Paraguay.

Service Dog
Recuperating
A service dog speeds
toward recovery
-with a little help
from his friends

'9

&ivInerrurcarL

Florida Veterinarian is published by the University
of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine for alumni
and friends. Suggestions and comments are
welcome and should be emailed to:
Sarah Carey, Florida Veterinarian editor,
at: careys@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu.
Check out the college website at:
www. vetmed. ufl. edu

Glen and Lana Hoffsis visit with CVM faculty and staff
formally accepted the position of dean of the college.

strength of the college.
"Many agents used by terrorists are
animal pathogens," he said. "More
people are becoming concerned about
the bird flu. These are avenues for us to
demonstrate what we have to offer and
to make a contribution."
After a long career at OSU culminat-
ing with 11 years as dean, Hoffsis joined
Iams, a Procter & Gamble company, as
associate director of veterinary services.
As such, he has led a group that imple-
ments academic programs in colleges
of veterinary medicine in the United
States and overseas. "At this point,
I'm looking forward to combining my
experience in academia with my new
perspectives gained in the corporate
world and putting them to good use at
the University of Florida," Hoffsis said.
"I see the UF veterinary college as a top-
ranked college with a bright future."
Hoffsis noted Florida's strong agricul-
tural, equine and small animal industry
constituencies are valuable resources
for UF's veterinary college and would
continue to be assets in the future.
"I am honored to have the opportunity
to lead the fine College of Veterinary
Medicine at UF to a new level of excel-
lence," he said.
The OSU College of Veterinary
Medicine progressed from a limited
accreditation status with the American

kg I

the college's Veterinary Academic Building during which Hoffsis

Veterinary Medical Association during
Hoffsis' term as dean to a ranking of
sixth among veterinary medical schools
in the country by U.S. News & World
Report.
In the meantime, sponsored research at
the college doubled, the budget nearly
tripled and a major fundraising effort
resulted in the acquisition of nine new
endowed chairs and professorships,
including the endowed deanship. Three
new buildings were added at the college.
Hoffsis is an established and visible
leader among veterinary medical
school deans, having served as a former
president of the Association of American
Veterinary Medical Colleges, UF admin-
istrators said. Furthermore, he has
also been president of the American
Association of Bovine Practitioners
and chairman of the Food and Drug
Administration's veterinary medicine
advisory committee.
Hoffsis received his veterinary medical
degree from Ohio State in 1966 and
completed an internship in large animal
medicine at Colorado State University in
1967. He is a board-certified veterinary
internist. He replaces former dean Joseph
DiPietro, D.V.M., who served nine years
in the job and left in February to become
vice president for agriculture at the
University of Tennessee. o

Alumni r-

Father/daughter alumni i
as team in mobile food
animal medicine practice
By Sarah Carey
For Liz Yelvington, '06, the road less traveled
quently a bumpy one, taken practically evei
a fully stocked mobile veterinary truck on her wa
cattle or horse farms in South Florida.
The ride, however, is "as good as it gets," says L
one of a diminishing number of veterinarians wh
chosen to practice food animal medicine in a court
where the overwhelming number of today's veter
nary students opt for work in small animal practi
The dwindling supply of food animal veterinarian
become a national concern within the profession i
years, with many veterinary colleges and animal
oriented businesses initiating or contemplating ef
reverse the trend.
"With the American public more focused than e
on food safety and security, the role of the food ar
veterinarian has never been more important," saii
Lyle Vogel, director of the American Veterinary M
Association's Animal Welfare Division in articles
published in June by the Journal of the AVMA (JA
"Needless to say, we can't afford to have a shortai
large animal veterinarians. It would be catastropl
the industry and for society."
As for Liz, she's doing her part, but not with a s
sacrifice. The food animal profession always seen
call her name. She loves working with large anim
always wanted to be a food animal veterinarian a
fact, for the business is a family affair.
"Why was food animal for me? There is no doul
not many veterinary students pursue a career in t
said. "But I was raised in a rural setting. I raised r
steers for our county fair and ran barrels with my
horses as a teenage. This setting combined with a
the beef industry as a child was just the beginning
career choice."
Immediately following her graduation from the
University of Florida College of Veterinary Medic
May, Liz joined her father, John Yelvington's all-n
veterinary practice in Lake Placid.
"My first week of practice was quite interesting,
added. "My father took a much-needed vacation
the Bahamas with my mother. This was great, exc
he scheduled me to ultrasound 1,100 beef cows fc
pregnancy in four days, make numerous horse ca
perform emergency duty and on top of that, to an
the business phone.
"Yes, he threw me into the fire. I loved it! This is
I've been waiting for," said Liz, adding with typic
humor: "I quickly learned my right arm was not I
cally prepared for that many rectums."

Ve : Dr. Liz Yelvington

Ur. LIZ Yelvington, Ub, right, with her father, Ur. John Yelvington, 81,
during the senior awards banquet held at the Gainesville Hilton in May.
The Yelvingtons are the college's first parent-child alumni.
Prior to Liz joining her father's home-based business,
he had never had an associate, she said. Her mother, Kim
Yelvington, serves as in-house cook, cleaning person,
secretary, office manager "and general life saver."
"She essentially runs the business and we do the labor,"
Liz said. "Without her, life would be rough."
John Yelvington graduated in the UF College of
Veterinary Medicine's Class of 1981. When Liz graduated,
the two became the college's first parent-child alumni
team.
John, obviously a proud dad, has many stories to tell
about his daughter's excellent adventure in veterinary
school.
"When Dr. Patrick Colahan (professor of large animal
surgery at UF) realized that Liz was the daughter of a
former second class graduate, he announced to the class
that he was feeling quite old and that he thought he
should go home for the rest of the day," John said. "Dean
James Thompson remembers holding Liz as an infant at
many of our Friday afternoon sporting activities."
That's not all: Liz always enjoyed the outdoors with
"critters," her dad said.
"One evening, my wife, Kim, was busy cooking dinner,"
John said. "Liz, who was then about 5 years old, pushed
a bucket into the kitchen to show her mother what she
had collected. At least 20 large frogs began hopping out
of the bucket. At about that same age, I stopped Liz, in
the nick of time, from taking our cat's temperature with a
10-penny nail."
Liz grew up in the small town of Parrish, Fla., with her
three brothers. Her father opened a mixed animal clinic,
where he practiced for 17 years.
"I volunteered in his clinic as much as possible, but
especially enjoyed every opportunity to ride along when
he made his ranch visits," she said. "He would allow
continued on page 4
66. -!

Deriso Hall, new

home to FARMS

service, opens doors

university of Florida College of 4
Veterinary Medicine faculty who
provide on-site veterinary assistance to i
Florida beef and dairy cattle farms now
have a bright new place to call home.
Food Animal Reproduction and W
Medicine Service personnel joined '
campus administrators, agriculture
industry representatives and other
friends of the college May 17 for the
official dedication of Deriso Hall.
"As long as we've existed, we've never
had everything together," said Owen
Rae, D.V.M., FARMS service chief and a cutting the ribbon at the
longtime CVM faculty member. "What Medicine are, left to right
this building will do is give us a home Vice President of Food ai
Eleanor Green.
base that will provide us with everything
we need to function: a reception area,
office space, a large seminar room with video projection
capabilities, a large teaching area and two full-sized labo-
ratories."
Graduate students and residents with the FARMS
program will be located in the same cubicle office area,
rather than separated as in years past.
Located on Shealy Drive, Deriso Hall is across the street
from the main college complex on Southwest 16th Avenue.
Deriso Hall is the direct result of a public-private part-
nership that began with an estate gift to the college from
Bob and Evelyn Deriso, a Tampa couple who had interests
in cattle. Many years ago, the Derisos asked their attorney,

the late Dan Brown, how they could contribute in a mean-
ingful way to help the cattle industry.
A longtime friend of Paul Nicoletti, D.V.M., a professor
emeritus of infectious diseases at the college, Brown told
the Derisos about Nicoletti's contributions in the area
of brucellosis, a deadly disease that affects livestock.
Brucellosis was a major concern to cattle owners in the
1960s and 1970s.
The couple eventually donated half the value of their
estate, around $1.3 million, in honor of Nicoletti's contri-
butions. The Deriso gift was subsequently matched and
supplemented with additional state dollars.

continued from page 3

me to accompany him on these visits with caution, as
200-plus beef cows in a small space made for dangerous
conditions for an 8-year-old daughter."
Liz recalled how her father used to set her up on the
highest spot in the cow pens or on the back of a gentle
horse and would have her write down records.
"I was thrilled to be in that setting and watched, as
everyone respected his work," she said. "I knew that
would be me someday. My father truly inspired me to
pursue my goals."
When all four Yelvington children were young, they
would spend time with their father during after-hours
trips to his clinic or following along during emergency
calls.
"Liz in particular was more involved with my treat-
ments than the three boys," John recalled. "She especially
loved the cattle work."
Following her high school graduation, Liz and her
family moved to Lake Placid, where her father built
a clientele of 80 percent bovine and 20 percent equine
patients. Liz then headed to Gainesville to pursue a
degree in animal science from UF.

"I was positively influenced by the animal science
department, specifically Dr. Tim Marshall, Dr. Todd Thrift
and Dr. Maarten Drost (a professor emeritus of therio-
genology at the UF CVM.) These professors inspired me
further and gave me an even greater passion for Florida's
beef industry."
Once in veterinary school, she was able to work with
Drost on various embryo transfer workshops and
developed strong relationships with the many food
animal and equine professors.
"Dr. Owen Rae was my mentor," Liz said. "I made
frequent stops into his office to pick his brain.'
She said she chose to pursue food animal medicine
because of the entire Florida beef cattle industry and the
families that depend upon that industry for a livelihood.
"I cannot describe in words how genuine and down to
earth these rural families are," Liz said. "I am dedicated
to food animal health and public safety. I am able to help
provide a safe product for consumption, help maximize
production for the client, provide quality veterinary care
and enjoy the beautiful outdoors all at one time.",,

~L~~ALk

6 6.

THE COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
Honor Roll of Donors for 2005-2006

The 2005-2006 University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine Honor Roll of Donors is a way of recognizing generous gifts to the college. The students,
faculty and staff are most appreciative of this support. This year's honor roll includes names of all donors of $25 or more between July 1, 2005 and June 30,
2006. Your name should appear in alphabetical order among donors who made gifts of similar amounts. Many alumni choose to make gifts to the college in the
name of their veterinary practice and the practice name is listed. We have included a list of Bequest Society members from the College of Veterinary Medicine.
These members have documented a bequest of $10,000 or more specifically for the College of Veterinary Medicine. In spite of our efforts, omissions and errors
sometimes occur and we want to know about them. If you have questions or corrections concerning your listing, please contact the Office of Development and
Alumni Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 100125, Gainesville, FL 32610-0125, telephone (352) 392-4700, ext. 5200.

College of Veterinary Medicine Bequest Society
Listed below are friends of the college who have provided documentation that they have included
the college as a beneficiary in their wills. This is a cumulative list rather than a fiscal year list.

By Sarah Carey
When she was a student at
UF's College of Veterinary
Medicine, Linda George, D.V.M., and
her husband then a crime analyst,
now a pastor felt a calling toward
international mission work. George, a
graduate of the college's class of 2000,
and her husband solidified this com-
mitment after each took independent
mission trips, her to Mexico and
him to East Asia.
"Our eyes were opened to the
overwhelming needs outside of
the United States, both physically I
and spiritually," said George,
who moved with her family to
Paraguay, South America in June.
The move followed a six-week
orientation in Virginia and then
a nine-month stint in Costa Rica
learning Spanish at a language
institute.
"We had never heard of
Paraguay before, but were open Di
to help and serve in any way
possible," she said.
The agency responsible for sending
the couple to Paraguay is the
International Mission Board, which
is funded by a group of Southern
Baptist Churches through a coopera-
tive program. The group currently
has about 5,000 missionaries scattered
throughout the globe.
George and her husband receive
a small salary, but no remuneration
for student loans or other debts. This
was a huge issue for George, who
graduated from veterinary school
owing $90,000 in student loans.
"My current salary would be
consumed by a monthly loan
payment," George said. "I could not
leave until I got my loans resolved."
Enter Project MedSend, a program
that offers student loan repayment
grants to healthcare professionals
who are headed for career medical
missions service under the authority
of a recognized missions sending
agency, according to MedSend's Web
site.
Established by Christian medical

and dental associations, MedSend
was formed because many were
having difficulty recruiting replace-
ments and coworkers due to the high
cost of health care education. The
resulting student loans were prevent-
ing or delaying prospective mission-
aries from reaching their fields of
service.

MedSend agreed to pay George's
monthly student loan payments in
exchange for her performing veteri-
nary work in a foreign country.
"I am the first veterinarian
approved and accepted by this
group," George said. "Basically, I
made contact with them and they
asked me to be their test pilot for vet-
erinarians. In other words, they had
already been sending doctors, nurses,
dentists, etc., but I was the first vet-
erinarian they had approved."
B.J. Newcomer, D.V.M., a graduate
of the UF veterinary college's class
of 2001, recently became the second,
having received approval to do mis-
sionary work in the Central African
Republic. Since then, several other
veterinarians have received MedSend
support.
"They have been very generous and
have paid my loans since we left in
July 2004," George said.
Her new assignment involves a
three-year commitment to serve
in the field. She and her husband

expect to be back in the states from
September 2007 to March 2008.
Needs for both people and animals
in Paraguay are huge, George said.
"I'm in the process of making
veterinary contacts and having my
veterinary license authenticated here
so I can work here legally," George
said.
Among the animal health issues she
sees constantly are canine leishma-
nia, specifically the skin form of the
disease.
"There is also some pressure to
eradicate rabies. One fairly well pub-
licized human fatality was noted last
year when the youth received the first
post-exposure injection, but refused
the others. She later died."
George has developed a relation-
ship with a local veterinarian, whom
she asked about the presence of
heartworm disease in dogs.
"Being a native Floridian, I was
curious," George said. "She says
she doesn't know if they have it or
not. I discussed with her that this is
a mosquito borne disease and with
the prevalence of dengue fever and
leishmania, most likely dirofilaria is
present as well but that I understood
that it could be a lower priority con-
sidering the high zoonotic potential
of the other two infections."
George didn't have the heart to tell
her new colleague that for her senior
project at UF, she also found dirofilar-
ial incidence in cats.
"I think that would be more than
she could handle right now," George
said.
George said her missionary assign-
ment entailed giving up many things
- her family's house, their jobs, their
familiar culture and other family
members.
"However, we feel we have been
blessed tenfold and would never
want to go back or close our eyes to
the rest of the world," she said.
For more information about
MedSend, go to www.medsend.org 4

6:4 6. q d I I- r 1 d r 11 0W.

I,

Clinical w 4Lea1+

Service dog speeds toward
recovery following successful
surgery at UF

By Sarah Carey
Service dog named Eagle,
whose unusual orthopedic
problem threatened his ability to
help his disabled owner, is speeding
toward recovery after successful
surgery June 20 partly funded by
NASCAR champion Tony Stewart.
The Tony Stewart Foundation
supplemented efforts already under
way by the Orange City-based
animal assistance group H.E.L.P.
Animals Inc. to fund the cost of
Eagle's operation performed at
the University of Florida Veterinary
Medical Center and the travel
expenses of a visiting veterinary
surgeon from Missouri.
The 3-year-old golden retriever is
owned by Michael Ray, of Deltona,
who was paralyzed in a road-rage
incident when he was 27 years old.
Ray said the dog was a godsend,
moving in with him more than three
years ago, a few years after his wife
died of cancer.
"I am in a wheelchair and I'd never
had a service dog," said Ray. "I knew
my shoulders were going bad, as I'd
been pushing a chair since 1978. I
decided a service dog might be right
up my alley."
Now it was Eagle who needed
Ray's help.
The dog began showing signs of
weight-bearing lameness of the front
left leg last year. Although hind leg
lameness is commonly seen and
treated by veterinary orthopedic
specialists, front leg lameness is rarer
and frequently difficult to definitively
diagnose and treat.
The problem persisted despite a
regimen of exercise and rest, so UF
veterinarians recommended surgery.
Daniel Lewis, D.V.M., a professor
of small animal surgery at UF, and
Jennifer Fick, D.V.M., a veterinary
surgery instructor who was part of
Eagle's care team, noted that they
could move Eagle's left shoulder to a

markedly greater degree
than his right shoulder.
"This was a finding
that suggested possible
medial shoulder insta-
bility, which can cause
front leg lameness," Fick
said.
UF veterinarians
discussed their assess-
ment with Ray and
mentioned that James
"Jimi" Cook, D.V.M.,
Ph.D., had recently
published an article on
medial shoulder insta-
bility. Cook, the William
C. Allen endowed
scholar for orthopaedic
research and director
of the Comparative
Orthopaedic Laboratory ior to Eagle ude
at the University of
Missouri College of Veterinary
Medicine, pioneered the procedure
to treat this problem. He flew to
Gainesville to perform the surgery
and train UF veterinarians in the
technique.
"I'm very happy with the end
result," said Cook, who repaired two
small tears in Eagle's shoulder and
removed a small chip of bone from
the dog's elbow. "The shoulder was
the primary problem but I'm glad we
got the elbow taken care of before it
grew worse. We have now addressed
all of the problems that would be
making Eagle's limb lame."
Cook said Eagle's prognosis is very
good.
"Time will tell, but he's a motivated
patient," Cook said.
The surgery was made possible
thanks to the generosity of many. Ray,
whose sole income is from Medicare,
had been concerned about finances.
Surgery alone was estimated to cost
approximately $2,500. Then there
would be the additional costs associ-

ated with traveling to Gainesville
and Eagle's postoperative care. Ray
shared his dilemma with several
friends -- including an assistant
manager at a supermarket where
Eagle had become very popular.
"There are no quick trips to the
grocery store," Ray said. "They have
kind of adopted him."
One day when Ray and Eagle were
at the store, the assistant manager
approached them and told Ray her
mother volunteered for an organiza-
tion called H.E.L.P. Animals.
"Next thing I knew, the H.E.L.P.
Animals group contacted me and
said they would try to fund Eagle's
surgery," Ray said.
The group posted Ray's story and
a plea for financial assistance on its
Web site, www.helpanimalsinc.org.
Soon an anonymous donor gave

$1,800 to Eagle's cause. Other funds
were raised through a motorcycle
run. Then a call came from the Tony
Stewart Foundation.

. 6 6r Veternarian

l\U

"Someone had sent something to us
soliciting our help," said Pam Boas,
Stewart's mother, who helps manage
the organization. "Knowing Tony's
heart, I called them. He loves animals
and that's why our foundation was
formed, so we could actually do a
better job of donating money to the

things that really touched Tony and
also touched kids and animals."
At that point, Ray contacted Cook
and asked if there were any way he
could assist in Eagle's case. Cook
e-mailed right away and a plan was
hatched to bring him to Gainesville.
He agreed to donate his services

and H.E.L.P. Animals covered the
surgeon's additional travel costs.
"This was the best possible scenario
for everyone," Fick said. "Eagle got
the best treatment and we benefited
from learning the procedure from Dr.
Cook. Everybody wins." L

Research w/a+e

Morris Animal Foundation grant

boosts pacemaker study

A University of Florida study
aimed at discovering better
ways to place pacemakers in dogs
with complete heart block has
received a $100,000 boost through
a grant from the Morris Animal
Foundation. The study, under way
at UF's Veterinary Medical Center,
already has six dogs enrolled.
Complete heart block occurs when
normal rhythms between cells within
the heart are blocked so that normal
impulses are not delivered. Other
cells overcompensate to "rescue" the
heart and keep it beating, but work
ineffectively, leading to clinical signs
of fatigue, exercise intolerance and
even congestive heart failure
"In traditional treatment, one lead
is placed within the right-sided
ventricle to electrically control the
heart rhythm," said Amara Estrada,
D.V.M., an assistant professor of
veterinary cardiology at UF's VMC.
"Occasionally, an additional lead
will also be placed within the right
atrium as well. Looking back over
the last 20 years of pacing therapy,
we now realize that this approach is
less than ideal and in fact can lead
to worsening heart disease in about
10 percent of the dogs and people
treated in this way."
The new study will focus on the
relative effectiveness of placing
pacemakers within the right and the
left ventricles as well as from both
ventricles simultaneously.

"We're trying to get as close
to natural cardiac physiology as
possible," Estrada said. "Pacing
equipment has gotten so advanced
that we can get very close to
imitating what happens normally in
the heart."
Estrada said UF's study will be
"slightly ahead" of what's currently
being performed clinically in human
cardiology to treat complete block in
people and will hopefully provide
information that will be crucial not
just for veterinary patients but also
for human patients requiring pacing
therapy.
"The actual surgical procedure is
no different than what we're doing
now," Estrada said. "We're just
placing more leads."
The UF veterinary cardiology
team has already flown out to
Minneapolis-based Medtronic, a
company that manufactures pace-
makers, to learn the new techniques
for pacing. In addition, UF veterinar-
ians have visited Cornell University
to teach veterinary cardiologists there
the clinical technique, and plan to
demonstrate the technique to Texas
A&M University veterinary col-
leagues in the future as well.
"We hope to include 36 dogs
in the study and will evaluate
them both in the short term and
in the long term for any potential
clinical benefits of this new pacing
technique," Estrada said.

ur. Amara Lstrada

Symptoms of complete, or third
degree, heart block include exercise
intolerance, collapse episodes,
abdominal swelling and coughing.
The VMC's cardiology service
sees one or two cases of dogs with
complete heart block every month,
Estrada said, adding that letters are
being sent to referring veterinarians
in an effort to recruit additional study
candidates.
The study will cover all costs
to patients associated with the
procedure, and follow-up care during
the three-year study period. Study
candidates will be screened and if
they qualify, treatment includes a
two-day hospital stay and rechecks.
For more information about
the study, contact the cardiology
service through the VMC's main
number, 352-392-4700, ext. 4700. 1

-t 6. -

A ii

I

Student vvrue

Veterinary student receives

Hill's "Big Win" Award

S arah Judd, a junior veterinary student at the University
of Florida, has won the Hill's Big Win Scholarship
Challenge, sponsored by Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. Judd will
receive a scholarship for one year's tuition to the UF College of
Veterinary Medicine, worth approximately $25,000.
The announcement was made in June at the American College
of Veterinary Internal Medicine's annual meeting in Louisville.
"This is very exciting," Judd said. "I would like to thank Hill's
for the scholarship and my fellow students for going online to
vote. Because of this great honor, I am now in a better position to
begin my career as a veterinary professional after my graduation
next year."
Students from veterinary schools throughout the United States
who participated in the Scholarship Challenge took a short-
answer quiz and winners had their school name posted on a
Hill's Web site. Fellow students could then go online and cast

Calendar O- F ,,
December 2-6
The American Association of Equine Practitioners will
hold its annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas. For more
information, go to www.aaep.org. or email sbaker@aaep.
org. The UF College of Veterinary Medicine will hold
an alumni reception Dec. 4 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the
Marriott River Center Hotel in conjunction with the con-
ference. For more information, contact Genevieve Perez
at (352) 392-4700, ext. 5010 or email perezg@mail.vetmed.
ufl.edu.

January 13-17
The North American Veterinary Conference will be held
in Orlando. For more information, go to www.tnavc.org.
The UF College of Veterinary Medicine's annual alumni
reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. January 14 at
the Marriott World Center hotel. For more information,
contact Jo Ann Winn at (352) 392-4700, ext. 5013 or e-mail
winnj@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu.

April 14
The UF College of Veterinary Medicine's annual Open
House, sponsored by the Student Chapter of the American
Veterinary Medical Association, will be held from 10 a .m.
to 4 p.m. For more information, contact Sarah Carey
at (352) 392-4700, ext. 5206.

in Judd's Sarah Judd receives Hills Big Win Award
winning the o leftto right are Dr. Karen Padgett, Hill's Chief of Veterinary
scholarship Business Channels, Sarah Judd and Dr. Hein Meyer, Hill's Director of
"Winning Academic Affairs.
the Hill's
scholarship is a great honor for Sarah and for UF," said James
Thompson, D.V.M., interim dean of the UF veterinary college.
"Because of generous programs like The Big Win, Sarah's
senior year tuition is taken care of and she can concentrate on
becoming an amazing veterinary professional. What a gift!"*

... Over

... .... ...
the

... Hump
Samuel, a 2-year-old
camel, is shown with his
caretaker, Susan Cox,
Sept. 1, prior to returning
to his home in Palm
Harbor. Samuel received
successful surgery at
UF Aug. 31 to remove a
mass from his neck.